- Target:
- Purdue University, Board of Trustees
- Region:
- United States of America
closed
The recent racist attack on the Krannert Hall memorial for distinguished Purdue professor Cornell Bell is an example of institutional and social racism in the U.S.
In addition to an outstanding career as a scholar, Dr. Bell provided leadership for the Business Opportunity program, increased the diversity of the Purdue student body, and provided mentorship to students. These qualities were celebrated by many students in the wake of the attack on his photograph.
The assault on an accomplished African American on the grounds of a state-funded University is not an isolated incident. It underscores the need for Purdue University to establish measures and practices to guarantee and safeguard the rights of African American and other minority students to public education and full citizenship.
Purdue must act now to achieve this aim. We, the undersigned, demand the following of Purdue University:
1. Existing channels are not sufficient due to the pervasive nature of racism and discrimination on the Purdue campus; therefore, Purdue must create a university-wide Anti-Racism Grievance Committee to adjudicate claims from students, faculty and staff about cases of racial prejudice, hate crimes or attacks. In addition, Purdue must create a University-wide Anti-Discrimination Taskforce to monitor the overall conditions of racial equality on campus. Half of the anti-discrimination university taskforce must consist of student representatives with a demonstrated commitment to diversity.
2. Purdue must achieve and maintain an inclusive and representative campus. As a reflection of these values, Purdue must double its minority enrollment and percentage of minority faculty within 10 years and achieve parity with national minority representation (35%) within 20 years.*
3. Universities are responsible for creating an environment free of discrimination for teaching and learning. Purdue first year students must be required to take a university-wide course on the history of race and racism in the United States, Purdue’s student and faculty orientation must include programming on the meaning of racism and discrimination, and Purdue must take steps to increase awareness about discriminatory patterns.
We believe the steps outlined above are the bare minimum Purdue must undertake to address the damage done by the attack on Dr. Bell and begin to create an atmosphere for learning that is intolerant of racism and discrimination. Purdue should not take a back seat when it comes to issues of equity and social justice. Instead, Purdue must demonstrate institutional responsibility, and allocate resources accordingly. A just society can be modeled by the Purdue community and will place Purdue at the forefront of such efforts nationally and internationally. Willful ignorance about racism and discrimination gives confidence to racists to carry out actions like the recent Krannert Hall attack on Dr. Bell.
*www.purdue.edu/spa/documents/Trustee_May_2011_Diversity%205-6-11.pdf
Minority population in the U.S. is now 35% of the total population. According to the 2011 Purdue Executive Summary on Diversity , in 2008 Purdue ranked third from the bottom among Big Ten and other peer schools in enrollment of undergraduate domestic minority students (13.4%). The same report indicated that African Americans constituted only 3.4% (1,360 of 39,697) of total 2009-10 fall enrollment for undergraduate and graduate students.
Sincerely,
The Petition and Resolution Against Racism at Purdue petition to Purdue University, Board of Trustees was written by Jubin Rahatzad and is in the category Justice at GoPetition.